A27 Arundel bypass

Latest updates

• 12 August 2024

  Scheme to end

  Following the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s announcement to the House of Parliament on 29 July, that the A27 Arundel Bypass will not be taken forward, we are developing our plans for bringing the project to a close.

• 08 June 2023

  Deferral - further update

  We updated this page back in March to confirm that the bypass scheme had been deferred to the next Roads Investment Period, known as RIS3, which covers 2025 to 2030.

  We said then it would take further time to work out the next steps for the project and what the deferral meant in detail.

  Whilst we continue to work through much of that detail, we can now confirm we won’t be submitting a Development Consent Order to the Planning Inspectorate this spring, as previously announced.

  We can also confirm there will be no further work on the scheme at this time except for removing monitoring equipment that had already been installed.

  The preferred route will remain in place whilst we work through what the deferral means for that and other aspects of scheme

  We’ll be keeping this page up to date with further details as and when we can confirm them, so please check back here for all further information.

• 10 May 2022

  Record number of consultation responses as thousands get involved

  We received more than 3,500 detailed responses to our public consultation this spring – a record for the Southern region - as thousands of people shared their feedback on our proposals to reduce congestion at Arundel.

  Over 1,100 people visited our 19 in-person Statutory Consultation events to find out more about the designs for the Scheme, speak directly to the National Highways team and share their feedback. We also had over 3,850 visitors to our virtual consultation room.

  Andrew Jackson, Programme Leader for National Highways, said “I would like to thank all who took the time to respond to our consultation, whether that was at one of our in-person events or online via our website and virtual consultation room. The Arundel bypass will connect communities, boost the local economy and add vital extra resilience to the road network.”

  The next steps for the project team involve analysing all the consultation responses and taking your feedback into account as we further develop our designs for the scheme. We expect to submit our planning application to the Planning Inspectorate in 2022 and a full report on the results of this consultation will form part of the planning application – all of which will be available to the public.

  Although the consultation is now closed, you can still view the consultation materials and information about the scheme on our consultation website and we'll continue to update this page with further information about the scheme.

• 03 November 2021

  How will a proposed bypass improve road safety?

  The A27 currently has a poor safety record and the accident rate on the single lane stretch at Arundel is higher than the national average for rural A roads. On average, 24 casualties are reported each year between Crossbush junction and the Fontwell (East) junction – and with the population in the area predicted to increase over the coming years this number is very likely to rise. The A27 at Arundel currently operates at 150% capacity – meaning it’s carrying many more vehicles than it was designed to. This also contributes towards the accident rate.

  Congestion in and around Arundel results in some drivers seeking less suitable alternative routes, away from the existing A27. This ‘rat running’ also makes accidents more likely to happen, as these small roads in the South Downs National Park were also not designed to accommodate the volume of traffic they’re currently experiencing.

  Upgrading the A27 to a dual carriageway will improve safety for the tens of thousands of drivers using it daily and encourage those who currently use small rural roads to remain on the main road instead. A modern design with fewer junctions than the existing A27 will mean journeys are faster and more reliable. Dual carriageway roads are also more resilient when accidents do occur, helping to reduce the number of times traffic reaches a total standstill.

• 05 October 2021

  How will this proposed bypass boost the local economy?

  Currently the A27 through Arundel operates at over 150% capacity, which causes severe congestion and long, unpredictable journey times. This makes it difficult for people who live nearby to commute for work and many local businesses struggle to recruit the staff they need as a result.

  It's predicted that the A27 Arundel bypass scheme will help create new jobs in the area and will lead to productivity improvements for existing businesses. Average travel times will be significantly improved, not only on the A27 itself but in the surrounding area too.

  It's not just local people who will benefit from the bypass, though. Currently, two-thirds (67%) of the traffic that uses the A27 between Crossbush roundabout and Causeway roundabout is through-traffic. Local businesses tell us the long queues make Arundel a less attractive destination for their customers and clients, with many visitors’ first experience of the town being a frustrating one. After the construction of the proposed bypass, the full length of the existing A27 through Arundel will be retained, allowing visitors easy access to the town while through-traffic is able to travel along the bypass.

• 15 October 2020

  Our preferred route

  We’ve chosen Grey (Option 5BV1) as our preferred route for the A27 Arundel bypass.

  

  * Woodland north of A27 includes Dalesdown Wood, Danes Wood, Goblestubb's Copse, Madehurst Wood, Rewell Wood, Rough Copse, Screens Wood, Sherwood Rough, The Rough, The Waterwoods, West Stubbs Copse. 

  ** Woodland south of A27 includes Ash Piece, Barn's Copse, Binstead Park, Binsted Wood, Brickklin Copse, Brickklin Piece, Fowler's Copse, Furzefield Copse, Hundredhouse Copse, Lake Copse, Little Dane's Wood, Paine's Wood, Pedler's Croft, Pinewoods, Singer's Piece, Spinningwheel Copse, Steward's Copse, The Shaw, Tortington Common, Wincher's Copse, Threecomer Wood.

  Considerations

  We have weighed up a range of considerations to identify our new preferred route.

  These have included:

  • How well the proposed designs would meet the scheme objectives
  • Potential impacts on local communities and the environment around Arundel
  • The extent to which the proposals would comply with planning policy
  • Feedback received during our public consultation process
  • The cost of delivering the scheme and the value-for-money that would be achieved by doing so

  While there are no easy answers to the challenges of improving the A27 around Arundel, the results of our extensive assessment work have clearly identified Grey as the best long-term solution.

  You’ll find more details about the proposed route in our Preferred Route Announcement brochure and in the Documents section below.

  What happens next?

  Now we have announced our preferred route, we will carry out extensive surveys and investigations to help us design the scheme in more detail.

  These investigations will inform a landscape level assessment and support the development of mitigation measures to ensure the proposal is as sensitive to the environment and existing landscape as possible. As part of this process your views will be sought on the preliminary design and on the results of those further environmental assessments that we will have undertaken before we submit our application for a Development Consent Order.

  This means you will have a further opportunity to shape the scheme as the detailed design develops.

  We will work with key stakeholders, including local authorities and statutory environmental bodies over the coming months to ensure this consultation is suited to local needs, and we will publicise the details of the consultation and how you can take part, in due course.